Now that I've got playtesters providing feedback in larger numbers again (soon to be very large numbers!) I'm going to spend the next while immersing myself in game design theory so I can respond to that feedback more effectively. I've read up on game design in various places and at various times but it's been over a decade since I've done it with a real sense of purpose. Most of what I know is intuitive, and I don't think intuition can carry me all the way through the delicate and lengthy process of balancing FRONTIERS' survival elements.

If anyone knows any papers, youtube talks, exceptional rants and so on, let me know. Here's a good example recommended to me by a fellow gamer. I love this stuff. I'll be spending at least an hour a day cramming. Should be fun.

Part of this is an effort to purge my mind (partway, anyway) of programming theory, which I've been fully immersed in for over a year. I can tell I've been thinking about game balance as a programming problem and using programming tools to fix it. That won't do.

The beta keys are almost ready to go, just a few more details to clean up to ensure a smooth launch. Can't wait!

Gazz wrote:Most likely it's too late for any changes on that front but... you asked. (and it's only a 6 minute video/talk =)

Extra Credits entire library is worth viewing if time is available...have those links ready as those toons can explain it better than you can.

One of my pet peeves is knee jerk hand holding to shut up complaints which will destroy careful balance, causing the downward spiral towards what is considered 'standard mechanics' in AAA gaming.

Another kickstarter game I supported moved the noob mobs out of the noob spawn zone because of noob complaints they got killed at the start. So now there is no safe way to learn about about combat and death mechanics close to home (as quests ask you todo), you have to leave the noob zone where there are high level pack/flying mobs that can easily one shot you, and the hand holding cycle gets worse as it is now about removing one shots! Instead devs should have said noob mobs in noob zones serve the purpose of more safely teaching you about combat/death that they are there for LTP (Learn to Play) purposes, so shut up and do so.

So you will get noobs complaining they starved to death and fix it or else their twitchytoob will expose you as a kickstarter fraud, and you just need the cajones to say STFULTP, or maybe even say this genre is just not for you.